Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth is an United States Secretary of Defense. Born June 6, 1980, in Minneapolis. Positions held include United States Secretary of Defense (2025–). Known for American Crusade and The War on Warriors. Educated at Forest Lake Area High School and Princeton University. Awards include Bronze Star Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Expert Infantryman Badge.
Facts
48 facts · 1 confirmed by two sources · 15 cited · 32 from one source
Where this comes from
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What Wikidata says · copied November 13, 2026 · revision 2568325477
- Described as
- United States Secretary of Defense
- Other names
- Secretary of War, Pentagon Pete, Peter Brian Hegseth, Peter Brian "Pete" Hegseth, Peter Hegseth, Peter B. Hegseth
- Born
- June 6, 1980
- Born in
- Minneapolis
- Name at birth
- Peter Brian Hegseth
- Citizen of
- United States
- Occupation
- politician; television presenter · 1 reference; writer · 1 reference; basketball player · 1 reference; military officer; political donor · 1 reference; civil servant; pundit · 1 reference
- Positions held
- United States Secretary of Defense (2025–) · 3 references
- Political party
- Republican Party
- Worked for
- Fox News (2014–2024) · 1 reference
- Education
- Forest Lake Area High School (–1999); Princeton University (–2003); John F. Kennedy School of Government (2009–2013)
- Member of
- Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches · 1 reference
- Teams
- Princeton Tigers men's basketball (2000–2003) · 1 reference
- Sport
- basketball · 2 references
- Known for
- American Crusade; The War on Warriors
- Awards
- Bronze Star Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Expert Infantryman Badge; Combat Infantryman Badge; Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal
- Field
- television · 1 reference; creative and professional writing · 1 reference; military affairs · 1 reference; politics · 1 reference; proselytism
- Spouse
- Jennifer Rauchet (2019–)
- Siblings
- Phil Hegseth · 1 reference
- Religion
- Evangelicalism
- Military branch
- United States Army
- Military rank
- Major
- Website
- https://petehegseth.com/
- Wikipedias with a page
- 59
Wikidata item Q7172014 (wikidata.org/wiki/Q7172014), public domain (CC0). Copied November 13, 2026.
What Wikipedia says · copied November 13, 2026 · revision 1385513796
Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American politician, U.S. Army veteran, and former television personality who has been serving as the 29th United States secretary of defense since 2025.
Hegseth studied politics at Princeton University, where he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative student newspaper. In 2003, he was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard, serving at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth worked for several organizations after leaving Iraq, including as an executive director at Vets For Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. He became a contributor to Fox News in 2014. Hegseth served as an advisor to President Donald Trump after supporting his campaign in 2016. From 2017 to 2024, Hegseth co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend. He has written several books, including American Crusade (2020) and The War on Warriors (2024).
In November 2024, then-President-elect Trump named Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense. In a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing days before Trump's second inauguration, Hegseth faced allegations of sexual assault, adultery, financial mismanagement, and excessive drinking. He was confirmed by the Senate that month when Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote, the second time in history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by a vice president. He took office as the second-youngest defense secretary in history next to Donald Rumsfeld.
Hegseth has drawn criticism during his tenure for actions such as texting war plans in an unsecure group chat on Signal; alleged war crimes related to U.S. military strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea; promoting Christianity inside the military; using unmarked military planes for boat strikes; the use of force and rules of engagement in the 2026 Iran war; an unprecedented purge of admirals and generals; and imposing testosterone screening on troops. He has received praise from Republican politicians, right-wing political commentators, and Christian nationalist organizations for his role as defense secretary.
- Born, in its opening lines
- June 6, 1980
From the Wikipedia article “Pete Hegseth” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth), by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Copied November 13, 2026; not changed.
Confirmed Two sources agree. Cited One source, and it names where it got it. One source One source, without a reference of its own. Sources disagree The sources disagree. We show the best-supported value and keep theirs below.
